Cities and societies in transition - Towards a low-carbon and inclusive development

On 5 June 2017, Festival CinemAmbiente, the Turin-based Environmental Film Festival, and the Centre celebrated World Environment Day 2017 by convening a conference entitled “Cities and societies in transition - Towards a low-carbon and inclusive development”, on campus, as part of the “Eco-Talks” planned for the 20th edition of the festival.

The event marked the beginning of a joint effort by Festival CinemAmbiente and the Centre to promote environmental sustainability through education, training, research and learning innovation. It brought together over 100 representatives of local government, civil society organizations, universities, the private sector, development partners, the media and the general public, and was followed by a more extensive online community through live streaming.

Alternative development paths were discussed, all with the common objective of achieving environmentally sustainable, socially inclusive and climate-resilient economies and societies.

More specifically, the conference raised awareness of the following initiatives:

The concept of Just Transition, as promoted by the ILO, and endorsed by the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, presented by Kees van der Ree, advisor to the ILO’s Green Jobs Programme;

The example of Spain as a country facing major employment and environmental challenges as a result of decreasing investment in the renewable energy sector and the closure of most coal mining activities. According to Ana Belén Sanchez, Sustainability Department Coordinator of Fundación Alternativas, dialogue and participation in decision-making, combined with skills provision, R&D and enterprise development programmes, will be crucial in ensuring a just transition for the workforce.